Assassins Creed: Revelations (The Complete Recordings) OST - Assassins Creed Theme (Track 01)

I have eight random questions here. You'll pick three numbers and whatever you pick, that's where we start. Okay. Uh, three. Number three is my lucky number. It's wrap gifts. What is the most memorable wrap gift you've either received or given? Oh my gosh, most memorable. I got a great, I just did a film called Oh What Fun, which is a ensemble Christmas comedy. And our lovely writer bought me a Christmas decoration, which has all the family that it's about are called the Clousters. And it has each one of us huddled together with Santa Claus hats on and scarves. And yes, and you can put it on your tree as a Christmas decoration. I love it. I thought that was pretty neat. A usable keepsake. Yes, exactly. It's a nice way to like have that memory. Attractive and practical. I'll take it. That's always the best wrap gift there. All right, so we got a number three. What is your next one now? Oh, my next number? Number eight. Number eight is new skill. If you could learn about a different profession or pick up a new skill through a role, what would you pick and why? A new skill. Oh gosh, it would have to, I really like doing physical work. So I like doing, I've loved doing martial arts in the past. So maybe it would be something to do with that. Maybe judo or something. I mean, why not? Yeah, really. Useful in everyday life as well. Okay, yeah. You never know when you need your judo skills. That's what I love about the job is you get all these, you just, you become all right at a lot of things. Because you never quite go totally in depth. I mean, I could kind of see that, but like all right is just like so far beyond all of us who just sit and experience it through your hardware. You just got to make it look as though you know what you're doing. I always think, you know, like editing. Yeah, the power of editing, exactly. In all honesty though, anyone who can learn another language for a role, that's something that like my brain can't compute and I'm in awe of it. Well, even if it's just the individual lines that you have to speak. It's so good. Still counts. All right, you have one last pick. What is your final number? Number four. All right, number four. This is a meaty acting question. This is one of my favorites. It's favorite, least favorite. I want to know your single favorite part of the acting process. You know, like meeting your co-stars, putting a costume on, something like that. But then also not necessarily your least favorite, but just a part of the process where you still see room to grow for yourself and you're excited to tackle it. I often think about that. You know, what is the thing I actually really like about this profession? No, and no. Do you know what it is? It's meeting people. And it's the people that you meet from across the world in so many different countries. And you get, you know, for that time that you're working on something, you've really become very close to people. You form these strong attachments. And I think that's, you know, that's one of my favorite, favorite aspects of it. I like that. All right, now I need the least favorite. And then room to grow. That would probably be not taking it home with me and not getting into a negative spiral. When I get home, I'm worrying about what happened in the day. Oh, I understand that all too well. What is the thing you turn to that is most likely to snap you out of it? Snap me out of it. Watching a bit of TV. TV's great. Just put it on. Doesn't matter what it is. It'll distract you. Having something nice to eat. That helps. It's often you're hungry, which is why you're getting, you know, grumpy. Yeah, probably along those two things. And then probably getting some sleep. Yeah. OK. Yeah. All three things right there. All too relatable. I get it. Yeah. Easy to execute. Hello, everyone. Welcome back to a brand new edition of Collider Ladies Night that I'm very excited about. Because I have Felicity Jones on the show for The Brutalist. First, I will say huge congratulations. Thank you. Thank you very much. What is the movie you saw, the personal experience you had, the performance you saw, whatever it may be that first made you say to yourself, I absolutely have to be an actor? Well, it was definitely watching Samantha Morton in her early work. Morven Keller, I remember, made such a huge impression on me. And I think it was her. She just was so real and her naturalism and her commitment. And I'd also she went to a kind of drama group where she grew up and I went to a similar one where I grew up, which was run by the same company. So I always felt I was always kind of looking at her go, well, what's she doing? You know, I felt like I had this affinity with her and then just watched her performances grow. And I just everything she does is just she's never phony. She never just she never just does takes an easy choice. She does interesting work. And yeah, she was there was something really punk about her as well. I'm always here for a Samantha Morton reference. I feel like she consistently deserves more credit. Yeah, very much. Yeah. I want to follow up on the drama group you just mentioned, because I always love hearing about someone's experience, learning more about their craft. So having having worked in that group, what was it about that group and the way that they explored acting that you think melded with how you like to learn and grow? I think we had an amazing teacher who was called Colin Edwards, and he ran the group. And I think it was that he treated us. He took us seriously, even though we were probably, you know, we started doing it was about 10 or 11. He you know, he'd bring plays to us. We'd talk about playwrights, about Pinter. We'd you know, and he would he would really give us a platform to feel like we had something to say. And and and that that really has stayed with me, I think. And I think also it was fun. I met all these different children from, you know, all different socioeconomic backgrounds, and we were all there because we love to do a little bit of acting. What a beautiful experience to have so early on. It's so very special. So the next step now, there's a particular quote that I read from you that I wanted to ask about. You mentioned that after university, you decided, I'll just throw myself in. I'll start auditioning. And if it doesn't work out, I'll have to think of something else. And it was making me wonder, what was the very first thing that happened after university that made you stop and say to yourself, like, you know what, this is working. I don't have to think of something else. Well, yes, that makes me sound very pragmatic, doesn't it? Whether I actually would be would have been able to do that. But yeah, I I think it was when I was cast. I remember it was a really intense auditioning process for it was Northanger Abbey. I must I feel like we must have done about four or five rounds of auditioning. And then when I got the call and said, you know, we'd like you to do it. I think that gave me a lot of confidence because it was that first it was in that first year just after I'd finished university. So it was John Jones who was directing it. And I think having that feeling that, oh, actually, I might be able to make a living out of this. That then gave me the push to to keep going, because it's almost like you just need one little bit of one job, one little sign of hope, and then you can kind of galvanize and keep going. So true. And so many more followed to touch on some of the earliest credits. I've got two broader questions for you to name whatever you'd like. The first one I wanted to ask was of all of your earliest shows and films, which would you credit with teaching you the most about what you valued in an on set environment? I think you've got to have a bit of humor. I mean, you know, sometimes that, you know, it's long hours and people are away from home and the beds that literally this film that we just shot was such a lovely group of people. And I think you've just got to make sure that you. Yeah, you keep a few jokes going and you don't take everything too seriously. Otherwise, it can all get a little bit a little bit heavy. I'll veer off the path here briefly to follow up on that as it pertains to The Brutalist, because obviously this is this is some very heavy, serious material. It's all the time. When you are kind of, you know, consumed in a story in a world like this, what can you reach for to to break through when you need it? Well, actually, with The Brutalist, we Brady is really into his restaurants and food, and after most days, we'd get a text and he'd say, if you guys if you don't, you know, if you want to come out, we're all meeting here. And so it felt like we were part of something. And it felt like, you know, no matter what you'd done in the day or what had happened, you had this this feeling of community really at the end of the day. And it's sort of there's nothing like just all eating together and kind of makes everything feel human leader ever. Yeah, he really is between what you and Guy told me earlier and what Adrian said, I'm like, we we need more people at the helm that operate like he does. Yeah, he's got a very natural, natural way. I think he's you know, he's been acting for such a long time. He's had the experience of being on so many film sets. He's really worked out what how he wants to do it. All right. I want to be like, I want to do it this way. You know, and you feel that confidence. You feel it in the finished product, too. Yeah. Going back to my little roadmap here. The other broader early project question I had was was kind of, I guess, which which early show and film made you feel seen the way you wanted to be seen in the industry where you did something. And you're like, yes, this well represents what I want the industry to know that I'm capable of. That's that's so good. That's such a good question. I know because you can do things where you have definitely had that where you're doing parts and work. And it wasn't really representative of kind of what I want to say. I think definitely like crazy was quite a moment of feeling, oh, this. I very much had wanted to do that kind of work that, you know, I loved watching independent film growing up. And and so that film suddenly felt like, oh, I'm sort of doing what I was what I was planning to do. And that's probably with that film. It felt like everything sort of came together in the right way. I guess I was planning to ask this question for that film. And now that you brought it up, it is a good fit. What would you say is the biggest difference between the types of opportunities that were coming your way before that film and then the types of opportunities that were coming your way after it was released? Well, that film really was the first time that I came to the States was because of that film in many ways. And, you know, I'd started off in England and I'd got to know, you know, you have to go and meet all the casting directors. And I'd done that in Soho. And and I guess felt like I had a, you know, pretty good footing. And then I came to the States and I had to start all over again. And so it was then and then in a different way. I was in a I was in a car this time driving around and getting to know everyone. But I, in a way, like crazy, opened kind of opened the world up for me in many ways. And, you know, I didn't anticipate that I would ever do this much traveling and and and have this life. And that film was very much the the gateway. There's another question I had about that movie, because I am endlessly fascinated by improvisation and how people are able to do it in a multitude of respects. And there there was one quote I found. You had mentioned that you were emphasizing the importance of learning the fact that when you're doing improvisation, you have to fall off the tightrope sometimes. And when making like crazy, I'm wondering if you could give me an example of each. Do you remember the very first time you fell off that tightrope and what it felt like? But then also, can you tell me the first time you fell off the tightrope and said to yourself, like, yeah, like that was right. And I'm confident in my craft. Well, I'm still figuring that out now. I think is that you don't. If you try and do everything perfectly, it's often very boring creatively. And, you know, if you feel like, oh, I'm hitting all the right beats and I'm saying all the lines in the right way, in the right order. You know, you're a bit it's a bit mechanical. And actually you have to feel it and you have to just let go. And sometimes that's the hardest moment when you just go, right, whatever happens is going to happen. And then something really interesting might occur rather than trying to control every every minute. I mean, it's a bit like life, isn't it? The more you try and control, the less interesting it is. Probably scary to do. I mean, that's kind of why, like I obsessively prepare. And then I just like sit back and know I have like a foundation for your map to stand on and then I can at least listen. Speaking of my map, one of the next things I had to hit with you was how you ventured into franchise filmmaking. And I was I was trying to refresh myself about The Amazing Spider-Man 2. And I did really want to ask this because I couldn't quite piece the details together as well as I usually can. For that one, I'm curious, what would you say is the biggest difference between what you expected from that opportunity and maybe that character specifically and what you ultimately got from it? Well, I think with it, you know, you have to when you see a film, you see the part you have to be, OK, I definitely want to do that and want to tell that story. And then whatever happens happens. And I like I just like even though she wasn't in it that much, I just kind of liked her vibe and I just like and I had an idea for the look. And I wanted her to have this dark brown hair and fringe. And and I, you know, I just I just even I think I only probably shot on that film. I think I was in New York for ages, you know, because you and then you just appear when you do your little bit. So I think I only shot six days when I was in felt like I was in New York for about three months, which was quite fun, which is no bad thing. So so I had I had a good time. I had a really good time doing it. I'll take a good time. Good time and good vibes. And sometimes all you need. And it's so nice having this such a different muscle, you know, having these enormous sets suddenly that take hours to get from one side to the other. I quite like having that change from something very intimate. Oh, without a doubt. Yeah. So obviously from that one, I got to jump to to Star Wars. And I'm still a very big believer that Rogue One was one of the very best Star Wars movies ever made. I adore that film. When you are making a commitment to such a big franchise like that, what are some different things you have to consider to decide that it is, you know, worth it to you and it speaks to you creatively that maybe you don't have to consider when it's not part of a franchise? Well, that's what's so special about Rogue One. It was so easy. I thought it's this great character who's an amazing fighter who's at the center of the story, who's, you know, doing wonderful things. So it it was such a no brainer. It was it wasn't a compromise. You know, back in the day, you'd read scripts and the female part would be such a yawn, you know, and you'd think, God, that's why is there any point doing that? But with Rogue One, it was like, oh, yeah, definitely. When do I start? Oh, so, so good. Yeah, it was it was a pretty, pretty special one. Before I jump into the brutalist fall force, I have to ask you one more question about another project, because the thing that I like asking about often is an artist's relationship with awards and nominations because it's not why you do the work, but it can be very important depending on where you're at in life and your career. So when you got your nomination for the Theory of Everything, what did it mean to you at the time? Well, it's it's I guess there's something that's nice about it that you feel like your peers, the other people are seeing your work and enjoying it. I guess on that level, it's quite it's quite nice. But, you know, your sort of sensible self comes and gets, you know, that's not what it's about, you know, it's not about that. And you can't you can't make that the goal, really, because I feel there's so it's on it. Who knows? You know, you don't know. You don't know where the zeitgeist is going to go. You don't you just you just keep coming back to, you know, what the thing that I do love doing is is making these creating these funny characters and putting them in the world. So as long as I can keep doing that, then then that's good, really. And everything else is the cherry on the cake. And you very much are. So The Brutalist is just, I don't know, I guess, like filled with an especially large amount of very exciting creative challenges, or at least from my perspective, it seems to be. So when you first signed on for the role, what would you say were some of your biggest burning questions for Brady to kind of start to wrap your mind around the story he wanted to tell and how he would go about telling it? Well, I think I had a strong sense that he would do something interesting, having seen his previous work and how careful he was. I mean, even when he was acting, he seemed to work with the greatest auteurs in the world, you know, from one to the next. And then you could see from having done two of his films just how important each film is to him. So I knew there was so much promise that when we chatted, I mean, we chatted about so many different things. We'd actually known each other socially in our 20s. So it was really nice to see him again, having not seen him for some years. But I just felt I felt instinctively there was such emotional intelligence in the writing of the script and there was such ambition in it that I knew that it would be interesting in some way. I knew that it would it would be distinct. And that's what is so key, particularly now, is is making things that are distinctive in some way. Instincts were spot on in that respect. So digging into your character now, when we first meet her in the film, it's it's well into the film and we've had a significant amount of time to kind of like build up in our own minds what this moment of their reunion would would be like. So I am curious, what was it like or maybe what kind of conversations did you have with Brady in terms of like how big her reaction would be and why she's so focused on some particular aspects of life versus others? Yeah, it's definitely increases the pressure and the stakes when you don't appear until halfway through the film. So you don't want to disappoint when you do finally arrive. But but in many ways, like part of the character was well, so much of it was building it through her voice. And you hear her so much in that first half. I've talked about it as though she she sort of is haunting Laszlo in many ways. And so we we're we feel like we know her. And then obviously it's quite a shock when we meet her. We see the effect that malnutrition has had on her, which Laszlo isn't expecting. And very quickly, I felt that with Elisabeth, you feel her humanity. And there's a there's there's just a toughness. You know, there's a strength of mind. And it's someone who no matter what she has been through before and you feel she's been through great trauma, that she is totally committed to making it work for her and her family and that whatever's gone before, she she in many ways just wants to look forward. She's she's choosing to to not look backwards in some ways at that point that we meet her, and she's very pragmatic and she's going to do what it takes to to to make it work. And she wants to build a new life and a foundation. Given the focus on her forging forward, I'm curious to hear your answer to this. What was it like figuring out how much of her relationship with Laszlo would reflect what their relationship was like prior versus how it needed to morph, given what they've both been through and also their new their new life now? Well, I feel there's something in the photograph that you have in the intermission that shows gives you a little clue as to their former life. It gives you a window into their profound connection, but also a certain amount of innocence. And then what you realize is that in many ways, when they're reunited, having not seen each other for eight years, they're starting again. They're having to recalibrate. They're having to get to know each other. They're having to rediscover that connection that they've dreamt about for so long. So it's not it's not totally straightforward. It's so true. I was thinking a lot about that photograph. It's just a fascinating experience to essentially be sitting there and staring at it for so long with the expectations that you had built from part one and then seeing how it actually comes to life in part two. It's a beautiful quality of the film. Yeah, this is the scene that I was most excited to ask you about, because I think it is just absolutely phenomenally acted and shot. It's the dinner at the Van Buren house when she confronts him for what he's done to Laszlo. I feel like I could have spent this entire interview just talking about this one scene, but given the weight of what she's saying, the fact that it's so many peak emotional moments, and then on top of that, it's all filmed in a single shot. What does that scene demand from you prep-wise that maybe all of the other really emotionally heavy scenes in the film did not? Well, it's definitely a scene that you're thinking about for a long time before you do it. And I remember we didn't really rehearse anything. The only thing I practiced when I first arrived in Hungary with Brady was I just wanted to walk through her entrance, just so I had a sense of the room that I was in and how the scene might unfold. But what you see on screen is pretty much the first time that we did the scene. I mean, I think it was, if not, I think it was the first take that is used in the actual film. So a lot of it is as actors, we're kind of in the moment. We don't quite know what's going to happen. So it has that electricity, that electricity to it. But it was brilliantly, brilliantly written. Oh my, that is something else. When you're doing something like that, are you aware at all of when the camera is on you? Like one particular beat of that that really fascinates me is that when she is saying that he raped him, the camera is on you. And I guess in my mind, I would have thought like anyone would cut to the reaction in the room when she says that. But like we're experiencing what it means to her to say it out loud. But we're also essentially getting their reaction via your eyes. And I just found that to be a fascinating and highly effective choice. Yeah, I remember the camera just being there. And I did think, oh, it's not moving. I'll just carry on. Just keep going, whatever it takes. But yeah, it's an interesting, interesting decision. I guess, Brady, it's his commitment to those, to Laszlo and Elisabeth really, to tell, he's telling it through that. They're your, they hold it for him. I didn't want to say that out loud, but you like took the words right out of my mouth. I thought that was such a smart choice there. So because, again, I love singing Brady's praises and what he was able to accomplish with this film, because I've also heard a lot about how he's been able to make so much with minimal resources or far less than one might imagine he had to shoot a movie like this. Is there any particular thing you remember him doing on set where, you know, it might surprise people that you could do all of that with so little that maybe more sets out there would benefit from versus overspending and overusing? Well, I think there's an amazing amount of scale that Brady has achieved where, in terms of where he puts the camera as well. Just between him and Loll, just their expertise on giving you that sense of scale, probably with very little, actually. That's what's quite extraordinary. And then with the score on top of that, that then almost makes everything so operatic. He's able to keep building something. But I think it's also the use of that location of the Carrera mines in Italy. Suddenly it gives you this enormous, enormous scope. And he's, you know, it is an American epic. He's making a story so much about America. And if you're telling a story about America, then you need scale. We have hit the end of Ladies' Night, and every single Ladies' Night ends with this particular question. Nobody seems to like it, but I don't care because I think it's an important thing to think about. In this industry, everybody gives each other awards. Defiant. Defiant. So that's very good. Always. Everybody gives each other awards. And I think that is really good. I think we should keep doing that. But I find that nobody ever tells themselves good job as much as they should. So can you tell me something specific you accomplished in The Brutalist that you know you'll always be able to look back on and say, you know what? I am so proud of what I did there. It's very good to do because it's not always easy to do that, is it? God, it's so hard. This is why I asked it. I know, but you don't want to seem really like, I thought it was great. Sometimes, though. When I did this, it was amazing. I think probably with The Brutalist, it was one of the films that I've done where I just literally, I just every time we started the scene, I just let it go. I didn't want, sounds a bit technical, but I just I wanted it not to be totally conscious. I wanted something else. I wanted it to be not to try and control every minute. Just do my prep, do my research. And then when I was on set, just let it go and what will be, will be. You should be proud of that. And I will be thankful for that because my God, this is like a stunning and stimulating film to watch. And I need more of that in my life. I'm going to say congratulations on everything you've accomplished on The Brutalist and everything coming your way in the future. I can't wait to see that Christmas movie now. Oh yeah, it's good fun. It's good fun. Great cast. Thank you for joining me for a Ladies Night Chat. Come back soon. Thank you very much. What a lovely night.